Another round of fires erupts overnight in coastal NC town devastated by hurricane
More fires erupted overnight in the Brunswick County town of Ocean Isle Beach, just days after Hurricane Isaias set a block of homes ablaze in the popular tourist destination.
Multiple homes were seen burning in photos tweeted Thursday morning by the Horry County Fire Rescue, which reported it assisted in fighting the fires.
Some homes were shown reduced to glowing timbers sticking out of the ground.
Crews from Horry County, across the state line in South Carolina, were dispatched at about 1:15 a.m. Tuesday to Concord Street in Ocean Isle, Horry County Fire Rescue said.
Seven homes were involved in the latest round of fires, two of which “were a total loss,” reported ABC11, The News & Observer’s media partner.
Witness Ross Merritt told the Wilmington Star-News that he was “stunned at how fast the fire grew.”
“We heard two explosions, and I was thinking maybe they were fireworks but we went out and the car was in flames. It was so hot and there were so many explosions that you could only get so close,” he was quoted telling the Star News.
Investigators suspect the cause of the fire was “a flooded out car that ignited” around 1 a.m., WECT reported.
The Ocean Isle Beach Fire Department had posted a warning Wednesday that it may be dangerous to start some vehicles flooded during the storm.
“We ask that as you assess the damages to your properties, you are mindful of your surroundings and possible dangers,” the department said in the Facebook post.
“We also ask that if you have a golf cart or recreational vehicle that has been flooded, that you not start the vehicle in an enclosed area. ... There is a possibility of sparking which could lead to an electrical fire in the garage or storage area.”
Hurricane Isaias made landfall in Ocean Isle Beach late Monday with winds near 85 mph. A mix of flash flooding and fires spread through the town as the storm passed, “destroying nine homes,” WRAL reported.
Three confirmed tornadoes also touched down in Brunswick County as the storm passed, WECT reported.
Ocean Isle Beach sits on an island along the Intracoastal Waterway. The town has only 640 full-time residents but attracts 25,000 people weekly during the tourist season, according to the town’s website.
This story was originally published August 6, 2020 at 6:51 AM with the headline "Another round of fires erupts overnight in coastal NC town devastated by hurricane."